HC refuses interim stay on suspension of Goa Dairy MD

The High Court of Bombay at Goa has refused to grant interim stay on the suspension of Goa Dairy managing director (MD) Navso Sawant.

The High Court has also directed the Registrar of Co-operative Societies (RCS) to hand over the seized documents relating to Goa Dairy to administrator Damodar Morajkar to complete an inquiry expeditiously.

The High Court had earlier directed the concerned officer of the co-operative department to take into his possession the documents and secure the records on the basis of which the Registrar of Co-operative Societies had passed a related order.

It may be noted that the government had dissolved the board of directors of the Goa State Co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd, which is also known as Goa Dairy, for irregularities and mismanagement, appointing senior government officer Damodar Morajkar as the administrator of the Dairy. The administrator has been asked to place Sawant under suspension for the irregularities and corrupt practices and terminate him accordingly. The Registrar of Co-operative Societies had passed an order according to which he had disqualified seven directors of Goa Dairy.

Sawant and others approached the High Court pleading to quash and set aside the order of Registrar of Co-operative Societies

directing Morajkar to suspend him.

Meanwhile, Morajkar took charge as administrator of the Dairy on Thursday, almost after a week of the Registrar of Co-operative Societies’ order. Soon after taking charge, he asked Sawant to hand over his charge as managing director within a day. Sources said that Morajkar has moved a note asking Sawant to hand over his charge.

Though Morajkar did not take any serious decision to comply with the Registrar of Co-operative Societies’ order, he, however, has hinted at the dismissal of Sawant as managing director. Morajkar stated that he will act as both, administrator and managing director of Goa Dairy.

Before dismissing Sawant from his duties, Morajkar is planning to set up an inquiry committee to study the charges levied against Sawant following which he is likely to be dismissed from the post, said sources.

“Due to official work, I was not able to take charge of the Dairy soon after the order of the RCS, but as I have taken the charge now, order of the RCS will be implemented in a step-by-step manner without affecting the functioning of the main process of the Dairy,” Morajkar said. He said that a lot of directions have been given by the RCS and that the order cannot be implemented within a short span of time.

Morajkar held a series of meeting with all heads of various departments of the Dairy and urged them to cooperative with him for the smooth functioning of the Dairy.

Officials from the RCS, meanwhile, said that the documents seized following the High Court order will be handed over to Morajkar by Friday after following the due procedure.